Machine for aerial flight.



Patented Sept. 30

'N. J. PADBOGK.` .MACHINE POR AERIAL FLIGHT. APPLICATION IILED AUG. 4, 1911.

ul-UME PLANOGRAPH CILIWASHINGTON. D. C

NATHAN J'. PADDOCK, `0E JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR AERIAL FLIGHT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led August 4, 1911.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

serial No. 642,322.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, NATHAN J. PADnocK,

a citizen of the United States,residing atV Jersey City, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Aerial Flight, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for aerial Hight, and the improvement is applicable to aeroplanes either of the monoplane, or biplanetype Vor any other mult-iplane type, or it may also'be used'in con,- nection with dirigible balloons. It` may also be used in connection with gliders.

rlhe main object of the invention is to provide means tending to' automatically preserve the center of gravity of such machines so that the work of the aviator is reduced to a minimum, inasmuch as if the machine tends to tilt to oneside it is auto-V matically balanced.

Another ob-ject of the invention is to provide means for imparting an oscillatory motion to two balancing wings or planes, or to the opposite ends of one 'plane asfin the Wright type of machine, although the in-` vention is applicable to any type of machine.

Further objects of the invention are toV provide efHcient and practical means for automatically preserving the lateral balance of such machines.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to -be hereinafter described and thenclaimed with reference to the accompanying drawings illust-rating a suitable form of the invention, and in which# Figure 1 is a perspective view of so much Y of a machine for aerial Hight as is necessary to illust-rate the present improvement; Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view on the line 2 2 Fig. l; the parts being enlarged; and Fig. 3 is a broken horizontal Sectional view of said parts, largelyV in' plan, to show clearly the means for lholding the pendulum against movement in the direction "of Hight.

Referring to the drawings, the plane frame 1 may be of any suitable construction as it is intendedtorepresent the frame of any machine for aerial Hight. The frame is therefore shown of as few part-s andas simple as possible, for the purpose of illustrating the invention only and not as de- Hning any particular frame. The frame is provided withv an upper support 2 and a lower support or wheel frame 3.

Fig. 1 illustrates balancing wings or planes for preserving the lateral balance of the machine, and which may be made in two separate planes, as shown, to supplement the plane in a monoplane or to supplement the lifting planes in a biplane or multipla-ne in which the supporting planes are held rigid relatively to each other; or to represent the end portions of the planes in a machine ofthe biplane or multiplane type in which the supporting planes are warped or moved relatively to the main body of the pla-nes for securing a lateral balancing of the machine. As machines of the, Wright type are so well-known, it is obvious that the two planes illustrated in the drawings may represent the ends of a single plane of such type of machine.

The lateral balancing plane which may be composed, as shown of the two end portions 4, 5, will `for convenience sake be referred to as one plane as the invention contemplates either two or one such planes. `The said plane is mounted on a pivot or hinge rod 6 so that the end sections or portions 4, 5, may be independently moved thereon or adjusted. Any other suitable and obvious means for rendering the end sections o-r portions of the plane 4, 5, movable ,may be employed.

Y For-the purpose of maintainingthe center of `gravity of the machine, a pendulum rod y7 is 'employed which carries at its lower end a Yponderous weight 8 which may be a tool box, gasolene tank, or any weight which will cause the rod 7 to act as a pendulum. Said weight preferably has wedge shaped or taperingV edges so" as to VdeHect the air and afford less resistance. The upper end of the pendulum rod has a ball 9 which is received in a socket 10 mounted on the upper support `2, and said support is provided with a hole or opening 11 through which the said rod passes,

,.plane, said cords being att-ached t0 an automatically movable draft part to be hereinafter described.

Between the sides of the lower support or wheel frame Sthere extends atransverse slot 16 which is preferably formed between two transverse cross, pieces or slats 17, 18,A

is acted on by means, through the medium,

ofthe pendulum, which tends to maintain said -lever in a position directed in the line ofiight of the machine. To this end the said lever or oscillatory member 20 is provided :withV an opening or slot 22 extending longitudinally of the lever and located tov one side of the Vpivot 21. The pendulum rod 7 extends through the said opening or slot 22 to a suitable dist-ance below the machine,

said pendulum rod also extending through the slot 16, sov that the said rodextends through two slots or openings which are arranged at right angles to each other.

It will be seen that under the present invention the pendulum 7, 8, extends toward Vthe center of the earth and that if the machine tilts or tends to tilt laterally, it will be automatically balanced by reason of the lifting of one of the end sections or plane portions, 4,V 5,; on that side of themachine whichr tilts o-r tends to Vtilt downwardly., This action is accomplished by reason of the vertical Vposition of the pendulum as it is obvious that as the pendulum is theoretically stationary with'respect to the vertical axis ofthe machine, the lateral tilting of the machine will causethe pendulum to move the oscillatory member or lever 2O soas to liftan end section or portion of the'plane-4,'5,

on. that side Aof the machine towardwhich themachine tilts.` It may be assumed that the machine as'viewedin Fig. 1 has tiltedy downwardly to the ,left and'jthatthe front edgeof'end 'section4has been raised asindicated yby arrow with Ithe-simultaneous low'- ering off'ront edge of section 5 as indicated.

As soonA asthe said end :sect-ion or plane portion Y4 4is lifted by the action of the vertically standingy pendulum, it acts to qaut-o-` maticallyI and vinstantly restore the center of'gravity ofthe machine, because as the machine moves ,baclr to upright position, the

said :plane-end or Iportion 4 will, in-moving baclrto normal position, act to restore the saidl lever or member 2O to position by its action upon the cord vor rope at' the opposite side of said plane.l l'f the, machine tilts or tendsto tiltto theotherf side,- theY lateral balance is preserved and the center of grav- ,ityis restoredy in a similar manner.

There may be times when itis desired to lock. the pendulum to the machine, and to this end a locking slide'23 is provided, which is` guided longitudinally of the line of flight posite ends `of said aperturel in. thedireetion' of the length ofthe ,slide there are notches 26. These notches.. are of such dimensions that if this slide is moved endwise asuit-j" able distance, one ofthe notches will engage the pendulum, rod frict-ionallyand Vlock thependulum against movement. The.v dia.- mond shape of-said aperture 25` regulates thelateral movement ofthe pendulum if.`

there be any, thev amount of regulation ,depending uponfthe position to which theslide is adjusted. f i Y A rope 27 is provided which is attached iat its lower end to an, eye or loop'28on1the.. :upper end of the pendulum, andvfsaid rope itis guided over apulley 29 mounted atcthei upper part o-f-theiframe 1. VSaid frameis :fprovided with a hook 30 so that whenfthe ,upper end of` the rod. is pulled up. for a :sufficient distance, the pendulum will Vbe Etraised and yits eye 28 may be engaged with the-hook 30. ThisI lifting means. is vfor theV purpose of elevating thependulum. when its :action is not.- desired, and. for/.holdingM-its, `lponderous weight 8 up far enough so that f it will :not strike-the 4ground whenr the machine strikes-it, asl-the l.wheels -will strikeirst.;

What I claim as new is 1. An aerial machine comprising an` upper support, a lowerk support, anopen frame?? mounted ,onA the lowersupport, aI locking slidemounted on the frame vand having-an aperture, andl a pendulum suspended fromv the upper support and extendinglthrough; the aperture and through\.tlie. openingjjof said frame. I Y Y 2. An.` aerial; 1machine Y comprising l an upf` per` supportfa lower support, atransverse frame having a slot and mountedion the lowersupport, aflocking slide mountedl onA the transverse frame and having laV central aperture and` end1 recesses anda pendulum suspended. fromY the upper support and extending-v through*V thefcentral vaperturel and throughthe slot.V

3. An aerial machine comprising aIplaneported from the-upper support, means contro-lledrby sa-id pendulum and located beneathsaidfupper support, means for raising and lowering the pendulumgfrom the plane# frame, anlupperysupport, a pendulum sup Y frame and for moving it vertically through said controlled means, and means for suspending the pendulum from the frame.`

4. An aerial machine comprising a plane frame, an upper support, a pendulum having means whereby it is suspended from the upper support, and provided with an eye, a guide suspended from the plane-frame, a supporting hook for engaging the eye 0f the pendulum, and a flexible connection for raising and lowering the pendulum and for engaging the said eye with said hook.

5. An aerial machinecomprisinga planeframe, an upper support, apendulum having a head, whereby it is suspended from the upper support, provided with an eye, a

pulley suspended from the plane-frame, and having a supporting hook for engaging the eye of the pendulum head, and a flexible connection Jfor raising and lowering the pendulum on the pulley.

6. An aerial machine comprising supporting parts, a frame thereon having a plane and a slot extending transversely ofthe machine, a lever pivoted to said frame and having a slot extending across said transverse slot, flexible connections extending from the plane to the lever, and a pendulum suspended from the upper support and extending through the crossed slots.

7. An aerial machine comprising supporting parts, a frame thereon having a plane and a slot extending transversely of the machine, a lever pivoted tosaid frame and having a slot extending across said transverse slot, an open slide, flexible connections extending from the plane to the lever, and a pendulum suspended from the upper support, and extending through the crossed. slots and through the opening of said slide.

8. An aerial machine comprising a plane- `frame having a plane, an upper support, a

lower support, a transverse frame having a slot and mounted on the lower support, a lever having a slot and extending across the slot of the transverse frame and pivoted to the transverse frame at one side of the slot of the transverse frame, flexible connections extending from the plane to the lever, and a pendulum suspended from the upper suppo-rt and extending through the crossed slots.

Y NATI-IAN J. PADDOCK. Witnesses:

S. A. PAnDocx, Guo. L. WHEELOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. i 

